Sunday, February 10, 2008

Once again, "live" blogging because it sounds better than "tape delay blogging". REFRESH your screen throughout the night for more.Yes, I already know who won Best Actress. Shut Up! Why must everyone spread spoilers around the net?

I'm convinced that if someone leaked the Oscar winners the day in advance everyone would spread the good and bad news instantly. No one would care about suspense. It's like how the movie trailers give us all the surprises. Nobody likes surprises, except me. I like to open my presents on Christmas morning. Sue me. So this tape-delay blogging is dedicated to all people who hate spoilers. xoxo. You're my people.

7:52 PM The Boyfriend is watching the Grammys. I have no idea why. His type of music (Björk, Vampire Weekend, The Cure) isn't really Grammyish. Grammy is Beyonce hit the floor wit it. He won't mind when I change the channel.

8:03 PM They are Sparta. Wait. Where is Stephen Fry? Isn't he always the host? I can't understand a word the host is saying (there's some strange echo on BBC America). Keira Knightley is in a very good mood. And it almost sounds like they've added a laugh track to the event, given how appreciative this audience is of every inaudible punchline.

8:11 PM I gues I really need to see this This is England movie. I was happy just watching Paddy Considine (great actor) get happy about the win. I don't even know if he's in it.

8:16 PM Commercials should be outlawed during awards shows.

8:18Eva Green is pretty. Live blogging leads to astounding revelations like that. You would have never known otherwise. You know who else is pretty? Sam Riley (to your right) who just lost this award. He was so good in Control. Shia Labeouf wins the Rising Star awards. I was sad for Tang Wei who has been robbed -- grand larceny -- all season long. Ah well, ten years from now people will still talk about that performance with Awe, Respect

8:24 I always forget that Thandie Newton is British. The Lives of Others wins Best Foreign Language Film.

8:35 Adapted Screenplay goes to The Diving Bell and Butterfly. Harwood thanks Janusz Kaminski for his cinematography. Remember when Kaminski was married to Holly Hunter? Good times.

8:39 There are more commercials than actual program. It's like watching Saturday Night Live. Which I haven't done in many years (largely because of that program/sponsor ratio problem)

8:49 Marion Cotillard was brought out to present Best Supporting Actor which went to Javier Bardem picking up his 100th (or so) of the season. She is wearing a silver version of the gold thing Nicole Kidman wore in Golden Compass only with a shimmering cape over it. It rather reminds me of the WWF costumes that they were designing on Project Runway last week. The nearly losing outfit by Sweet P. There's no reveal if the cape is open. Duh!

I love the way Marion pronounced "pivotal" when she was talking about their roles (pi-voh-tl) --accents are so cute! Javier Bardem has done a really terrific job all season of varying his speeches within the same basic emotional range. He always very genuinely acknowledges his competitors and stays humble about it. How you look that way and stay humble I shall never know. Europeans are so pretty.

8:56 Somebody just won something for Control but I didn't understand what it was for. Samantha Morton is clapping. I am always surprised at how young she really is (30) since she is not a fashion plate and has never presented herself in a "Hollywood" way. Definitely an actress rather than a celebrity. And what an actress! Seriously: I know some of you haven't seen Morvern Callar and you really must (FB nominee, 2002)

9:04 Saoirse's intro on the Atonement clip is hilarious... "She sees them in the library. She sees them doing things she's never seen done before."______________________________________That's one way to put it.

9:10 The visual effects goes to The Golden Compass. And a whole parade of bad tuxes crosses the stage.

9:26 SORRY. I got swept away into Dior couture with the pale and hypnotic Tilda Swinton. Big Red. I heart her. She won Best Supporting Actress for Michael Clayton. That's been the most volatile category all season. Her acceptance speech was choice as well, funny heartfelt and the right amount of appreciation and is this for real? awards show kookiness. Plus her date was wearing nail polish. Love. I wish I had transcribed her speech since we won't see an Oscar repeat. It's Ryan vs. Dee vs. Blanchett I think for the Oscar.

9:30 The Coens won Best Director for No Country For Old Men. The clip they showed (the hotel room face/off) is the only scene that's shared --and just barely at that --between any of the leads... in this case Josh Brolin & Javier Bardem. Good choice. So tense. I felt like grabbing the armrest and a handful of popcorn when I'm actually at my computer and blogging with the lights on. For a moment there I was back in the theater.

9:32 Screenplay...

9:35 Nodded off there. So many nominees. Three minutes of nominees. So Juno fever has also hit England, huh? Juno wins Best Original Screenplay.

9:44 Somebody got a tribute award. Somebody who worked on Harry Potter movies. And somebody who loves horses on stage...I mean really loves them... gave him the prize. I don't really get the appeal of Mr. Radcliffe. I'll just say it.

9:50 They're talking about No Country For Old Men. The amount of time they spend discussing the Best Picture nominees reminds me of that one (and one only) AFI ceremony when they had nominees and they did little tiny documentaries on each. It really felt like it was about filmmaking. Though that said, I'm a little bored. Probably because BBC America does the tape delay and therefore nobody cares tonight since they already know who wins. This is probably why none of the usual commenting chaos is going on. Where is everyone? Now is not the time to desert the Film Experience! Not when the Film Experience needs you to make it through this long long season. Not when the Film Experience needs you to help him through the annual process of watching his favorites lose.

9:54 Very nice acceptance speech from a clearly moved Marion Cotillard who just* won Best Actress for La Vie En Rose. *"just" being many many hours ago. Ah, the magic of "live" television. Congratulations Marion. She looks a little like Emily Blunt here, doesn't she?

While they were showing the clips and Cate was hollering away in Elizabeth 2: Full Throttle all I could think was: This is EXACTLY like that clip of Phillip Seymour Hoffman in Charlie Wilson's War. I think they even swing their arms the same way. I guess that's why I don't like either performance. Showboating = stinky. To me. The only shouty performance I love this year is Daniel Day-Lewis's because there is a reason "I've abandoned my child" goes to a fever pitch. A good strong valid reason. I can't figure out why Hoffman is always at fever pitch. Tone it down buddy.

10:05 Daniel Day-Lewis's acceptance speech is great. Best Actor for DDL in There Will Be Blood. He always seems so genuine.

From the mine shaft to the bowling alley this came from and belongs to Paul Thomas Anderson

Lovely, right?

10:10 FASHIONS. I totally forgot.

I'm more intrigued by the hair since it's hard to see the fashions unless they're presenters. Samantha Morton's hair line (pictured, left) is so far up there you'd think she just finished filming the Elizabeth movie. But her boyfriend (?) is also working the straight up look. Only his is more Lindsay Buckingham circa 1988. Boy is that hair flying up to heaven.

(I've added a bit about Marion's cape above when she announces supporting actor)

Otherwise best dressed might be Emily Blunt. She had a nice assymetrical shimmery blue number that's probably the evening's best so far. But as she stood there presenting I kept thinking: are these Norma Shearer's cross eyes I see before me? I love the Blunt but I'd never noticed that before. peeperssoclosetogether

10:11 You know how we're always hearing "so and so is Big in Japan"? And it's always like, "really?" And Jeff Goldblum is now onstage presenting Best Picture and the camera has been showing him as often as Keira Knightley. Is he unusually Big in England and I just don't know it. Atonement wins Best Picture. Joe Wright accepting to your left. I always forget who his girlfriend is and I had left myself to believe it was Romola Garai but it's the other three syllable "Ro". Rosamund somebody, Keira's other film sister in the other Joe Wright movie (Pride & Prejudice)

10:18Anthony Hopkins is getting some tribute action now. But I'm still thinking about Atonement's win.

I've always loved James McAvoy but Atonement made me love Keira Knightley and her super-speed clipped 30s cadences so much more than I ever had before. I almost want to pin her up against the books myself. Provided she wears the green dress. Otherwise, no deal. But yes... I'm excited for the next few years of Robbie & Cecilia ...albeit in separate movies.

God bless you, Nathaniel, and all who sail upon you. For some stange reason the Baftas are not telecast here in Auckland NZ but this is the next best thing (and some fashion commentary would be appreciated - what do you think of Marion's cape?? - do you want to strangle her with it??)

Am I the only one who doesn't get BBC America? Is that the only channel it's on? I tried to watch, but couldn't, so I just found out who won instead. Oh well.

I'm not so sure we aren't seeing a Tilda repeat at the oscars... I think Nat just won't let himself get his hopes up. With the category so wildly split, being in a best picture nominee that needs a token win could make the difference. And hey, the geezers liked her.

Tilda is my spoiler choice too. I just think she can pull off a Marcia Gay because the film is well liked and is unlikely to be honoured elsewhere come Oscar time. There has to be a surprise somewhere this year and this is it.

As much as I'd love to see Tilda with an Oscar my joy was slightly negated by the Marion Cotillard over Christie thing. But Marion was lovely and thank god she reacted as a winner should (it's much easier to take someone whose performance you don't love winning when they are gracious and surprised and not dumb about it. Why is it that I still find rage in my heart for Jennifer Connelly's awkward sweep in 2001?)

best dressed (from what i saw) Blunt. But i'm sure i missed good dresses... and I love that Tilda is still avant garde when it comes to clothes even if she's been absorbed into mainstream movies.

Yeah, the Cotillard win makes me a little worried for Christie at the Oscars. And Christie showed up for the BAFTAs which she wasn't originally going to do.I can't even go over to Awards Daily anymore because there is so much Cotillard love.

I have to say there were a lot of lovely women and dashing men in the BAFTA audience. I love the clips they show of all the films, and different ones for the same film. But why does the music sound like some cheap fashion show runway thing?

And Elmer Fudd has to go as host. Why has Stephen Fry stopped doing this? Couldn't they get someone better than Kate Hudson to present Best Actor? And Jeff Goldblum to present Best Picture?

yeah as previously noted here and elsewhere the Cotillard army is really ... um... scary. They're the most disrespectful bunch when it comes to the other actresses. and yeah, i suspect awards daily is their secret headquarters ;)

but yeah it won't be that surprising if she wins. I mean it's got the deglam thing + the biopic thing: the two hookiest things on the planet for oscar voters.

i just wish they'd think out of the box for once. Why does it always have to be the biopic performances.

past eight years below --six of the winners have been biopics. can we PLEASE move on. it's so boring.

Sorry about Christie losing. I'm sick of the biopic trend too. I thought it was finally coming to an end or at least a nice relief with at least three of the performances not being biopics (actor, actress, and supporting actor). I still don't know about Supporting Actress. I don't really think Blanchett will win again, but I heard that Harvey Weinstein is up to his usual dirty tricks by putting a DVD of just her performance in copies of Variety. I think it will end up backfiring on him though. (Hee, it must eat him alive that his new company hasn't got any Oscars yet, while his old company has their fingers in all sorts of the Oscar movies this year.) Of course, with Best Actress seeming even more shaky than it was before, Cotillard could definitely win, so that means my dream of no biopic roles winning this year wouldn't come true.

Also, since I'm a big Samantha Morton fan, I scarily know that, that's her fiance/second baby daddy, Harry Holm, son of Ian Holm. (Oh how I wish that Ian would introduce her to Sarah Polley and they could make a beautiful movie together. Although I get the feeling that perhaps Ian Holm might not like Ms. Morton too much if her diva reputation is anything to go by.) You can see her dress on the BAFTA website. I think she looks great for her if not a little matronly. I mean she can be really hit or miss at times, so I'll give her a pass on the hair since I love everything else about it.

Finally, I hate to be the bearer of bad news about this like I was with Kiki's rehab, but Roy Schneider died. This has been a rough year for you, and it's only February. :(

Go Cotillard! I believe she has created one of the best film performances I have ever seen. I've seen four of the five nominees this year (I'm scared to see Elizabeth) and I think she is the best hands down. I know that the biopic/de-glam thing is very bait-y when it comes to Oscars and it's a total turnoff to the Oscar-obessed, but as a theatre student I can't help but realize how hard of a job it is to pull it off successfully. It's not mere mimicry, it is an homage to and, especially in Marion Cotillard's case, an interpretation of a real life person. At the end of the day, it is still an actor's creation and nothing less. I think in this year of actresses, Cotillard had the toughest job. Alzheimer's and super-cool dialogue? Psh! Don't get me wrong, Christie, Page, and Linney have done wonderful jobs in their roles. It's a great category this year. But Cotillard had so much more to do than the rest and it's quite impressive. I would love to see her BAFTA win repeat at the Oscars. This certainly gives me hope.

I don't see why people would now think Cotillard would win the oscar. I mean you don't hear people saying now Tilda Swinton will win, even though her category has been truly up in the air with BFCA, GG, SAG, BAFTA all going to different people.

It is a bit odd that Christie was denied the win on her home turf, but England is not far from France, after all, and the "OMGMarionCotillardISEdithPiaf!" angle might have more resonance there. Doesn't mean she'll win here. I don't think the second foreign language best actress win EVER will happen in a year when someone else has won the drama globe, SAG, BFCA and most critics awards. Julie Christie is still in the drivers' seat.

How nice to see a little change in pace. I must admit, I'm rooting for all the obvious choices (NCFOM, The Coens, Christie, Day-Lewis, Blanchett, Bardem), but I loved that the Brits shook things up. I thought Atonement was beautiful and almost perfect, and I was furious when it started to lose steam. Hooray that it was recognized somewhere (really though, was there ever a doubt here? It's soooo Brit). Maybe I secretly am too.

Oh yeah, and props to Marion, Tilda and their acceptance speeches. 2007 was such fun! Such widespread, dispersed greatness.

Jonathan Ross irritates the heck out of me. I really don't know why they got rid of Stephen Fry, who can actually project his voice, crack jokes and make the night about the films rather than about himself. We made a point of scanning the audience reactions whenever Woss made a "joke". The best stony-face was Frances McDormand.

Marion Cotillard was hilarious. I get irritated when people seem so laid-back about their win. Tilda Swinton was the same, even though I was rooting for Saoirse Ronan (how cute was that clip of her?).

Oh, and the sound was malfunctioning on the regular BBC aswell. You could hear a delay/echo thing going on for the first twenty minutes of broadcast.

I just don't get this Christie love... her entire performance was just a collection of incredibly cloying "oh... oh... i'm forgetting... oh" moments delivered with maximum wispiness and "sad eyes". I think people too often mistake quietness for subtlety.

On the other hand, Cotillard was genius, and not just within the constraints of her "biopic/mimicry" role. My favorite moment - when she starts swinging her arm back and forth and hits the mic with it.

Samantha Morton is *definitely* a diva. She filmed "River Queen" - what a godawful movie - in my hometown in New Zealand, I was at the premiere and me and my family actually talked to Cliff Curtis and Temuera Morrison. When asked what they thought of working with Samantha Morton they were all like "er.... hehehehehe".

Rabid Cotillard fans? At The Envelope forums its just the opposite - the Christie fans are scarily vicious.

In retrospect it seems quite obvious for Cotillard to win considering the film itself won another three awards (costume, make-up and music).

Nat, have you seen Daniel Radcliff in interviews? I don't care for him in the movies, but boy he has personality coming out of his eye sockets. He's a very very funny young man. He even kissed a male talkshow host on national Australian tv!

I actually really liked the ceremony. We didn't seem to get too many ads in the first two hours so that was good. I quite liked the host although I wonder if some of the foreigners in the audience were laughing at his speech impediment? And I liked the surprises. I liked a lot of the speeches - Florian Henkel von Donnersmark's tribute to Ulrich Muhre was class, and I adored Tilda Swinton's moment. I much prefered the BAFTA lineup than the Oscar's (and their's ain't nothing to sneeze at). But... but... The Lives of Others! This is England! Atonement! So happy.

That very early win for This is England made my day. My #1 of 2007 and a deserved winner. Did you hear that crowd when it's nomination was announced, let alone the win. Makes me wonder why it wasn't nommed for Best Picture.

Rabid Cotillard fans? At The Envelope forums its just the opposite - the Christie fans are scarily vicious.

I still think of that place as Gold Derby before it merged/got bought out by the LA Times.

Also, really about the Christie fans? I would say it's about 50/50 there, maybe even skewering towards Cotillard fans being scarily vicious. Sure there's Christie fans, but most of them don't seem that bad even though they do come off as obsessed like a certain Beatle poster. There are a few vicious ones, but I would say that the Cotillard fans give as good as they get over there. I've at least seen a few of the Christie fans even Julie Christie's stalker say that Cotillard gave a fine performance, but they just didn't think it was better than Christie's. While on the flip side, I've seen posts where some of the scarier Cotillard fans attack Christie.

Samantha Morton is *definitely* a diva. She filmed "River Queen" - what a godawful movie - in my hometown in New Zealand, I was at the premiere and me and my family actually talked to Cliff Curtis and Temuera Morrison. When asked what they thought of working with Samantha Morton they were all like "er.... hehehehehe".

Yes, I know she shut down the production of River Queen for awhile because of the "flu", but in reality people working on the film let it out that it was a dispute over cocaine. So yes, it's not too hard to believe that she's a diva. I think that some of it is that she can be very moody, and other times she can be really nice, at least that's the impression I get from her interviews and where people say that she's great to work with (and I don't think all of it is just the usual pr), so she's like about everybody in that way. The big problem though is probably drugs, and I hope for at least her kids sake that she doesn't let them ruin her life. Of course, she probably is arrogant to some degree too like I think most actors are, but I guess I give her a pass for the arrogance because she's earned the right to be. I just fear that she'll be lucky to get any work if she's not more careful about it since she pulled out of that Edward Norton movie when they already filmed some of it and caused so much trouble on River Queen.

Morton did star in the worst movie I've ever seen, The Libertine. That's points against her, although her performance was actually fantastic. Ugh, what a stupid, stupid movie.

Why don't people recognize what an amazingly stylish person Blunt is? She is always dressed in some skin-tight slinky number and mangages a) not to look emaciated and b) not to look slutty. She is a freaking miracle!

Oh, and kudos for the Dior couture shoutout Nate! I actually really enjoyed Marion's dress too--something about it was very French. Perhaps that's cuz it's from the fall Chanel couture show, I think. I can't wait to see what she wears to the big show. Hopefully Christie shows up with a new hairdo. Something less "austere."

I think Marion Cotillard did herself a world of good with that acceptance speech. It may win her the oscar.

She was babbling and incoherent and lost for words, but damned if she didn't seem genuinely moved and shocked, and cute with it. Oscar voters love that sort of genuine enthusiasm (it arguably won Roberto Begnini a highly undeserved Oscar).

I haven't even seen Cotillard's performance yet, but I found her so genuine and awkward (in a good way), that you can't help but feel happy for her. Since Oscar voters rarely just vote on performance, I can see Cottillard's display winning her a bunch of votes.

Well they've had ballots for a couple of weeks now, so i doubt that BAFTA speeches will make much difference. Aren't most of the ballots returned early? They're due by Feb 19th.

with my bad luck of my favorites not winning i can see Julianne Moore and Michelle Pfeiffer finally giving an Oscary performance within the biopic genre in a few years but everybody finally coming round to the fact that just cause it's mimicry doesn't make it "the best" of the year every time. and then they lose. the trend finally ending once somebody who really needs an Oscar is up for one. HA HA

As a Brit, I'm sorta horrified that they've got rid of Fry (erudite, charming, funny as hell) and replaced him with Ross (the best we have at lighthearted conversational banter, but alas that's not what a BAFTA presenter needs to do).

I am, however, THRILLED that we've thrown Swinton and Cotillard into the realms of "possible". I'm unashamedly rooting for them both!

How many times has the BAFTA, the BFCA, the SAG, and the Globe gone to different people in the same category? The only other time I can think of was 1998, with Best Supporting Actor: Duvall (SAG), Rush (BAFTA), Thornton (BFCA), and Harris (Globe). All four were nominated for the Oscar, and the trophy ultimately went to the fifth nominee, James Coburn. Anyone think Ronan's gotta shot at that?

Isn't Jonathan Ross the one who did that aweful interview with la Kidman on his talk show a couple of years ago (and referred to her mother as "a bitch"?) they guy with the bad hair. What is he doing hosting a show like this?

alright, let's forget the pretense - Tilda Swinton is better on her worst day than any of the other actresses on their best. My brain knows that she won't win the oscar, but that won't stop the aforementioned fact from being true!

I have a gut feeling that (sadly) Christie is not going to win....Marion will be a surprise "oscar goes to" recipient. I had this feeling about "Crash" a few years back. There's always a surprise every year....I also don't think Ruby Dee will win - academy will feel the SAG will plenty suffice for her. Unless Ossie is up there, pulling some strings for her....

Jimmy,that's my gut feeling too. Depressing as all hell. I'm just longing for a new "story" as it were and Oscar loves two stories best of all "young pretty things looking not so pretty" and "famous person pretending to be famous person" and they can have both with Marion.

it's like little kids when they want the same bedtime story every night. they like to know what will happen. they like everything to turn out the same

Well, I love Marion's work, and yet I recognise that I can't dissuade you from dismissing her performance as (a) deglam and (b) a biopic, or that (c) the voters are suckers for falling for (a) and (b).

But as someone who seldom falls for (a) or (b), I'm just floating the idea out there that maybe MAYBE here's a performance that earns a temporary restraining order on some of the "pattern" cynicism I've been reading here.

Let's not forget that Marion is also (a) a foreign actress in (b) a foreign language film, and if someone had told me that constraints like those could be overcome and earn someone a Best Actress statuette ten years ago when we were applauding the likes of Sarandon, McDormand, Hunt, Paltrow, Swank and Roberts then... well, let's just say it would have given me hope for the future.

[end minor rant]

I still think Christie will win though. Let's not get ahead of ourselves here; there may be an air of a tide turning post-BAFTA, but most ballots will already be cast, and Christie has won all the other precursors that count. She's still our frontrunner.

ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch! Please don't put mcdormand ("is that your friend there in the chipper?") in the same sentence as hunt (should not have won), paltrow (should not have won), and roberts (OMG, should not have won).....why is it there are so many "should not have wons" lately????

Rob i ABSOLUTELY hear what you're saying. But the reason I can't ever get beyond it is that someone says that same argument each year when there's an a) and the b) ... THIS TIME it's different. you know?

no offense.

now admittedly i'm a lot more prone to accept the argument that a performance is better than just its genre (i preach this all the time and i have loved a few biopic performances in their day) but i will never and can never accept an argument against c (voters falling for a & b)... I'd be shocked if anyone would even try to argue that... the pattern is unmistakeable. At least in recent years.

even in the rare respite from it (2004) there was no biopic running against the fictional woman who won.

i'm glad that the performance has moved so many people (i actually am --i'm always for people loving movies)... I just can't see (personally) how it's in remotely the same class as what Linney or Christie did.

Apologies. To clarify, I said: "I recognise that I can't dissuade you from dismissing her performance as (a)... (b)... or (c)..." because I'm recognising that it's impossible to counter the argument against any one of them. The performance is given by a hot actress deglamming; it's in a biopic; and there's no hiding from the statistical trend.

But my biggest beef with the counters against Cotillard are because her detractors' chief concerns lie with the predictability of the deglam/biopic trend, or because the film accommodating the performance has been edited by a paper shredder. I don't think either are her fault. Is a judgement about her performance so very difficult to divorce from those things?

I recognise that each of us either feels or doesn't feel a performance. Linney I get; Christie I don't (to my mind Pinsent was the only award-worthy choice in that film). Therefore I'm certainly not criticising anyone for not feeling Cotillard's work.

But let someone dismiss her work on the grounds of problems with the actual performance, and I'll nod along sympathetically. The rest is just veiled sour grapes.

From what I have noticed this whole season the Cotillard supporters are downright insulting towards Julie Christie.

I am a Christie supporter while I also have Cotillard in my top 5, I felt with Cotillard was the performance was lots of broad strokes and not enough layers. It more lies in the script than anything else.

For me Christie showed the layers of a character that was wilting.I saw a woman who is becoming a new person even if it is the fact she is losing her. I felt more layers with Christie than I did with Cotillard.

I have a co-worker that says that what Julie Christie did in "Away From Her" he thought could have been done by Meryl Streep or Julianne Moore. I really have a hard time imagining anyone else as Fiona than Christie.

Oddly enough I don't think Cotillard's performance for me is really one-of-a-kind. Yes I know I am off and the Cotillard's supporters are going to lynch me now so sue me :P

Julianne Moore won almost all the prizes for Far from heaven except last of themRenee Zellweger won the Golden Globe and the SAGNicole Kidman won the Golden Globe and The BAFTA

Cotillard has more support... BAFTA, Golden Globe, LAFCA, BostonI'm glad for her victory. I don't ike the biopics. Two years ago, I want to win Ledger over Hoffman or last year Dench or Winslet over Mirren, but I think Marion deserves the Oscar for her physical transformation and development of the caracther

I am a Cotillard supporter, but I don't think I'm "downright insulting" to Christie. I do have to admit that I don't see the big deal about her performance. Honestly, I just think she's in the wrong category. If she were in the supporting category, I probably would be behind her more. But as a leading candidate, I don't know, I think her work was a little too subtle. Her line deliveries were terrific (that "Vietnam" line was magnificent), but seeing that she's not in almost half the film, I don't know. I also wish I could have seen more of who Fiona was before she deteriorated. I mean, that's probably Alzheimer's fault, but I personally thought the performance started to get a little one note. I think she does a great job, but the performance didn't scream Oscar to me. To me, it's kind of like rooting for Ruby Dee's performance. Great performance, but does she deserve an award for it? After seeing La Vie en Rose, I was totally floored by Cotillard's performance. Sure, the makeup department did a fantastic job at physically transforming her, but Cotillard was the factor that made the transformations so believable.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=X0pYzCpaZC8See, being a real person in a movie isn't about imitation. Even Cotillard knows that!